Friday, November 5, 2010

Coggeshall Farm

I visited Coggeshall Farm in Bristol, Rhode Island last week with a good friend and her daughter.

It was a beautiful, but overcast day.

The colors glowed.

The interpreter in the picture below was trying to milk the cow. The cow's calf was in the barn, and the cow wanted to go feed it. The interpreter told us that cows weren't tethered for milking in those days. The cow had to be in a cooperative mood.

At Coggeshall Farm, they make butter and cheese with the milk.

Here's Mary showing us what the dasher of the butter churn looks like.

Here is the cheese press.

And here are some of Coggeshall Farm's cheeses. Mary rubs butter on the cheese to help it form a skin.

This is dried cod.

This is a reproduction oil lamp.

Mary was heating water in a large cauldron for washing the breakfast dishes.

I think about how long housework takes for us today, with all of the machines which we have. A farmer's wife in 1799 probably sat down only to weave or nurse the baby.

This is a walking wheel for spinning, yet another opportunity for the housewife to stay on her feet.

After we arrived home that day, this is the sweet scene we saw in the car seat behind us.

I would love to visit this farm. Looks so very special and traditional. We also enjoy our own organic homemade cultured butter, creme fraiche, homemade yogurt etc. We do have a handheld paddle to churn our butter which the children love to do but sometimes we have much work so we do use our electric churn at times. I love the way the woman is dressed, goodness I would be so hot in that lovely dress in the tropics!

Beth Curtin

I am an American artist living in Switzerland. I am married and have three children. You have reached on of my two blogs. Beth Curtin Art is dedicated to my recent work in collage and paper cutting, preceded by my two large contemporary colored pencil series. Acorn Pies is my family-oriented blog, on which I share children's art making from my after-school art program, crafts, color, toy making, and outdoor fun. Thanks for coming to visit Beth Curtin Art and Acorn Pies!